Monday, 6 June 2016

The Shard Review

One of the relatively new addition to the London skyline is The Shard, which is an 87 story building. It is currently the tallest skyscraper in the European Union and the second tallest structure in the UK. The building looks like a glass shard, hence its name.

Architect Renzo Piano designed the structure to look like a spire emerging from the Thames. He stated that he was inspired by the railway lines found near the site, the masts of sailing ships, and the London spires as depicted by the 18th-century painter Canaletto. It is not just a modern architectural marvel the Shard is also designed to be energy efficient. It has a heat and power plant that runs on natural gas. Fuel is turned into electricity while the heat emitted by the engine is utilized to provide hot water for the entire building touristtube.com.

While the Shard looks spectacular from the ground, wait until you get up to its top. Found on the 72nd floor, the View from the Shard provides a different perspective of London. There are three viewing platforms on the 69th floor and an open air deck on the 72nd. On a clear day, visitors get to see up to 40 miles from the view deck. The Shard tickets allow visitors to stay in the viewing platforms for as long they want.

When you are in the View from the Shard, you will have unrivalled view of the city. Visitors are treated with the views of other landmarks such as the Gherkin skyscraper, The Oval, Wembley Stadium, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and the Tower of London, just to name a few. There are telescopes at the deck that were designed to zoom in on various London landmarks. It has a user-friendly interface and has information on more than 200 attractions. Visitors can also use the special telescopes to view pre-recorded views of the city touristtube.com.

The Shard tickets are required in order to access the View from the Shard. The tour experience begins at the ground floor galleries that introduce visitors to the city. A screen shows some of the London attractions that include the London Eye, Columbian road Flower Market, and Mudchute Park and Farm, just to name a few. Visitors with tickets get to the platforms through elevators that travel at six meters per second. The viewing platforms are the only places that allow visitors to see all of London at once. There’s no queue at the View from the Shard because tickets are booked in advance, with visitors selecting the date and time of their visit touristtube.com.

If you want to have a different perspective of London, then check out the View from the Shard. While the Shard tickets might be a little costly, the view is definitely worth it.